diff --git a/app/auto_responder.go b/app/auto_responder.go
index 0b6eb5e269..0fd819cec4 100644
--- a/app/auto_responder.go
+++ b/app/auto_responder.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 // check if there is any auto_response type post in channel by the user in a calender day
 func (a *App) checkIfRespondedToday(createdAt int64, channelId, userId string) (bool, error) {
-	y, m, d := time.Unix(int64(model.GetTimeForMillis(createdAt).Second()), 0).Date()
+	y, m, d := model.GetTimeForMillis(createdAt).Date()
 	since := model.GetMillisForTime(time.Date(y, m, d, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC))
 	return a.Srv().Store.Post().HasAutoResponsePostByUserSince(
 		model.GetPostsSinceOptions{ChannelId: channelId, Time: since},
diff --git a/app/auto_responder_test.go b/app/auto_responder_test.go
index 51baff292a..5593d11c4c 100644
--- a/app/auto_responder_test.go
+++ b/app/auto_responder_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package app
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ func TestSendAutoResponseIfNecessary(t *testing.T) {
 
 		savedPost, _ := th.App.CreatePost(th.Context, &model.Post{
 			ChannelId: channel.Id,
-			Message:   "zz" + model.NewId() + "a",
+			Message:   NewTestId(),
 			UserId:    th.BasicUser.Id},
 			th.BasicChannel,
 			false, true)
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ func TestSendAutoResponseIfNecessary(t *testing.T) {
 
 		savedPost, _ := th.App.CreatePost(th.Context, &model.Post{
 			ChannelId: channel.Id,
-			Message:   "zz" + model.NewId() + "a",
+			Message:   NewTestId(),
 			UserId:    th.BasicUser.Id},
 			th.BasicChannel,
 			false, true)
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ func TestSendAutoResponseIfNecessary(t *testing.T) {
 
 		savedPost, _ := th.App.CreatePost(th.Context, &model.Post{
 			ChannelId: th.BasicChannel.Id,
-			Message:   "zz" + model.NewId() + "a",
+			Message:   NewTestId(),
 			UserId:    th.BasicUser.Id},
 			th.BasicChannel,
 			false, true)
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ func TestSendAutoResponseIfNecessary(t *testing.T) {
 
 		savedPost, _ := th.App.CreatePost(th.Context, &model.Post{
 			ChannelId: channel.Id,
-			Message:   "zz" + model.NewId() + "a",
+			Message:   NewTestId(),
 			UserId:    botUser.Id},
 			th.BasicChannel,
 			false, true)
@@ -215,24 +216,27 @@ func TestSendAutoResponseIfNecessary(t *testing.T) {
 
 		channel := th.CreateDmChannel(receiver)
 
+		// Clean up all posts from this user.
+		// There are some dummy messages like "user joined team" etc.
+		// which needs to be cleaned up.
+		require.NoError(t, th.GetSqlStore().Post().PermanentDeleteByUser(th.BasicUser.Id))
+
 		savedPost, err := th.App.CreatePost(th.Context, &model.Post{
 			ChannelId: channel.Id,
-			Message:   NewTestId(),
-			UserId:    th.BasicUser.Id},
+			Message:   patch.NotifyProps["auto_responder_message"],
+			UserId:    receiver.Id,
+			CreateAt:  model.GetMillisForTime(time.Now().Add(-48 * time.Hour)),
+			Type:      model.PostTypeAutoResponder,
+		},
 			th.BasicChannel,
 			false, true)
-
-		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		savedPost.CreateAt = model.GetMillisForTime(time.Now())
 
 		sent, err := th.App.SendAutoResponseIfNecessary(th.Context, channel, th.BasicUser, savedPost)
 
 		require.Nil(t, err)
 		assert.True(t, sent)
-
-		sent, err = th.App.SendAutoResponseIfNecessary(th.Context, channel, th.BasicUser, savedPost)
-
-		require.Nil(t, err)
-		assert.False(t, sent)
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/store/sqlstore/post_store.go b/store/sqlstore/post_store.go
index 5051d59ae9..b500a8c6ff 100644
--- a/store/sqlstore/post_store.go
+++ b/store/sqlstore/post_store.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 
 	sq "github.com/Masterminds/squirrel"
 	"github.com/mattermost/gorp"
@@ -1050,20 +1049,21 @@ func (s *SqlPostStore) GetPostsSince(options model.GetPostsSinceOptions, allowFr
 
 func (s *SqlPostStore) HasAutoResponsePostByUserSince(options model.GetPostsSinceOptions, userId string) (bool, error) {
 	query := `
-		SELECT 1
-		FROM
-			Posts
-		WHERE
-			UpdateAt >= :Time
-			AND
-			ChannelId = :ChannelId
-			AND
-			UserId = :UserId
-			AND
-			Type = :Type
-		LIMIT 1`
+		SELECT EXISTS (SELECT 1
+				FROM
+					Posts
+				WHERE
+					UpdateAt >= :Time
+					AND
+					ChannelId = :ChannelId
+					AND
+					UserId = :UserId
+					AND
+					Type = :Type
+				LIMIT 1)`
 
-	exist, err := s.GetReplica().SelectInt(query, map[string]interface{}{
+	var exist bool
+	err := s.GetReplica().SelectOne(&exist, query, map[string]interface{}{
 		"ChannelId": options.ChannelId,
 		"Time":      options.Time,
 		"UserId":    userId,
@@ -1072,10 +1072,10 @@ func (s *SqlPostStore) HasAutoResponsePostByUserSince(options model.GetPostsSinc
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, errors.Wrapf(err,
-			"failed to check if autoresponse posts in channelId=%s for userId=%s since %s", options.ChannelId, userId, time.Unix(options.Time, 0).Format(time.RFC3339))
+			"failed to check if autoresponse posts in channelId=%s for userId=%s since %s", options.ChannelId, userId, model.GetTimeForMillis(options.Time))
 	}
 
-	return exist > 0, nil
+	return exist, nil
 }
 
 func (s *SqlPostStore) GetPostsSinceForSync(options model.GetPostsSinceForSyncOptions, cursor model.GetPostsSinceForSyncCursor, limit int) ([]*model.Post, model.GetPostsSinceForSyncCursor, error) {
diff --git a/store/storetest/post_store.go b/store/storetest/post_store.go
index 556d0edd27..27dfe5dc5b 100644
--- a/store/storetest/post_store.go
+++ b/store/storetest/post_store.go
@@ -3145,6 +3145,8 @@ func testHasAutoResponsePostByUserSince(t *testing.T, ss store.Store) {
 			Message:   "message",
 		})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
+		// We need to sleep because SendAutoResponseIfNecessary
+		// runs in a goroutine.
 		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
 
 		post2, err := ss.Post().Save(&model.Post{